Baseball bat



Feb. 5, 1946.

S. JANIS I BASEBALL BAT Filed Aug. 9, 1943 3m Sana/Q54 J9/v/s.- j

Patented Feb. 5, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BASEBALL BAT Samuel Janis, Baltimore, Md. App ication August 9, 1943, Serial No. 497,934

2 Claims. 1 (01. 273-72) This invention refers to games and more particularly to baseball bats. It has among its objects to provide a baseball bat with special hitting characteristics and a capacity for handling balls thrown towards it in a manner that will create unusual reactions, confusing to other players not at the batting plate. Another object is to vary the construction of the bat from that of the conventional one so it will induce a follow-up hitting action, and lessen the tendency to vibrate in an uncomfortable degree in the hands of the player when the ball strikes it at serving.

Other objects will become apparent as the invention is more fully set forth.

The conventional type of baseball bat is built on symmetrical lines with the center of balance following its center line throughout its whole length from handle to the butt. From a manufacturing point of view this construction facilitates production, but in its use in a game, the balance of the stick or bat and that of the hands of the player seems to be out of line. The player makes up for this by adjusting his striking action and standing position to suit the conditions. After years of practice, the type of bat conventionally employed seems naturalto him, and he accepts its construction as a matter of course. However in this invention, the balance of the bat is displaced from the center line to a location to the rear of same. The line of balance is centered to the width but not to the depth or thickness of the bat. The reaction to the ball after it contacts the face of the bat is one of delayed repulsion as the momenum follows and propels the ball after its first obstruction. The action seems to be that of first, stopping the ball and then secondly propelling it after it has lost some of its energy, in the direction that the bat is coming from. The effect is more powerful, for the same weight of bat, than it is without thi feature. The bat rests more easily in the hands durin the strok employed for hitting the ball, as the displaced weight of the bat gives a swinging effect that is different to the direct striking induced in the conventional type of bat. It also reduces the shock to the player as his hands do not disturb the blow, as much as the momentum of the bat does.

In carrying out the objects of this invention in one embodiment thereof, the following. description is provided in conjunction with the appended drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a bat embodying this invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a plan view of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 2 to indicate its general structure and the manner of balancing same, and

Figure 5 is a sectional view through Figure 2 taken along line 5-5, to indicate its structure at this point.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the drawing.

In the drawing, which illustrates this embodiment, a bat l for baseball purposes is provided with a handle 2 of usual form, with the ring 3 to prevent slipping at the end thereof. The body of the bat is constructed with its front face 4 straight and parallel to a center line 5 running from the handle ring to the butt 6 of the bat. The crosssection of the bat is generally circular but enlarges from the handle towards the butt. The variation in section displaces the rear contour line i of the bat, as indicated in the drawing. The variation at the greatest section makes the rear portion 8 approximately three times as thick as the front portion 9 in front of the established center line 1 5. The width of the bat varies with the crosssection of the same, but is evenly spaced laterally from the center line. The bottom or butt portion of the bat is preferably rounded. The crosssection is made even at this bottom portion H) for about one-fourth of the length to provide considerable latitude for the normal area on which the ball is to be struck. The center line of the bottom portion is disposed so as to be within the projected peripheral plane of the handle, as indicated in Figure 2. This keeps the effect on the ball the same and requires less attention on the part of the batter in aligning the bat to strike the ball. The player may also vary the action of the bat on the ball by turning it a selected amount, in order to produce the effects induced by the bat striking with the unbalance positioned out of line to the direction of the on-coming ball. Under such situations, the difiiculties in determining the effect of the ball on the bat is increased to the players on the opposite side, and the interest in the manner in which the batter strikes is substantially increased.

The purposes of the bat in the game are increased and afford the batter an opportunity to get effects on the ball that would not be feasible with the conventional bat due to the even distribution of its weight throughout the length. These effects increase the uncertainty of the game and reduce any tendency to routine results, without the immediate reason being apparent.

While but one general form of the invention is shown in the drawing and described in the specification, it is not desired to limit this application for patent to this particular form or in any other way otherwise than limited by the scope thereof, as it is appreciated that other forms of construction could be made that would use the same prinside and parallel with the first mentioned centerline, the whole bat being of one piece with its rear and side surfaces contoured and circularly and blended gradually throughout to produce the front and striking face of the batting bottom-portion formed with a gradual variation from one crosssection to another. r

2. A base-ball bat comprising a body structure with its upper handle of circular cross-section built symmetrical around one center-line, while its batting bottom portion is of circular crosssection built of larger dimensions than the handle portion and with the center line thereof disposed to one side and parallel with the first mentioned center-line, the whole bat being of one piece with its rear and side surfaces contoured and circularly and blended gradually throughout to produce the front and striking face of the batting bottom portion formed with a gradual variation from one cross-sectoin to another, the front and striking face of the batting bottom portion being in one straight line with the front face of the handle portion while the rear and side lines thereof are disposed directly in back and to the sides of the said front line so as to gradually and evenly distribute the weight of the bat about the axes passing vertically through the said center-lines in the bottom and handle portions of the bat.

' SAMUEL JANIS. 

